Aliens, Alien Facehugger

replica movie prop

A facehugger is the second stage in the Alien's life cycle. It has eight finger-like legs which allow it to crawl rapidly, and a long tail adapted for making great leaps. The facehugger is a parasitoid; its only purpose is to make contact with the host's mouth for the implantation process, by gripping its legs around the victim's head and wrapping its tail around the host's neck. Upon making contact, the facehugger tightens its tail around the host's neck in order to render it unconscious through oxygen deprivation. The facehugger then inserts a proboscis down the host's throat, supplying it with oxygen whilst simultaneously implanting an embryo. Attempts to remove facehuggers generally prove fatal, as the parasitoid will respond by tightening its grip, and the facehugger's acidic blood prevents it from being safely cut away. Once the Alien embryo is safely implanted, the facehugger detaches and dies.